Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 277 The movements of the officers and soldiers

The continuous rain stopped, the sunlight was obscured by white clouds, and two drops of water dropped from the branches that blew from time to time.

In the military camp on the outskirts of Licheng, there was a constant sound of bowstrings ringing on the school field.

tuk tuk tuk-

The bow string vibrated, and the arced arrow hit the target in the distance. A group of strong men in general uniforms were watching the four people shooting arrows. The soldiers who were counting the rings in the distance raised their flags and followed suit. Walking back with the arrow stack full of arrows.

"Haha, Brother Ha lost to me this time."

Amidst the hearty laughter, Zhen Xianglin handed the bow in his hand to the sergeant on the side. Opposite him, Harlanson, who was wrapped in a white turban and had sunken eye sockets, shrugged when he heard the words. The right sleeve with the unicorn pattern flashed in the sun. Fading and appearing, his unusually thick right arm wiped the messy beard on his chin: "Brother, you win, the jar of good wine in my camp is full."

Amidst the heroic laughter, he threw the long bow in his hand to his younger brother Ha Yunsheng who was walking over. He walked over and patted Zhen Xianglin on the arm: "Good brother, let's go and have some wine in my tent. I bought it newly from the city." The yellow sheep is very tender, just perfect for grilling.”

These two brothers were both leaders of the Qingzhou Xiangyong. This time they were transferred by Yun Tianbiao to suppress the bandits. They were filled with pride and were ready to enter the military attache career by virtue of their achievements in this battle.

"This is rare in Jingdong. He said, I really want to try it. Brother Ha must have spent a lot of money to buy this sheep." Zhenxianglin is also delicious. His eyes lit up when he heard this, and he looked at the opposite person with a sincere smile. .

"A little money is nothing." The man in the white turban waved his hand, looked at the man who walked over and looked somewhat similar to Zhen Xianglin and said, "I never thought there would be such a luxurious man like Zhen Xianglin in Qingzhou. He is going on an expedition today. It’s really coming.”

"My two brothers are not as heroic as Brother Ha. Xie's strength is incredible. In the last competition, Xianglin and I couldn't stop him."

The man who walked over was named Zhen Dayi, a brother of the Zhen Xiang Lin clan. His arms were slightly longer, and his archery skills were also good.

"Hahaha, I'm still somewhat confident in the strength of my right arm." He bent his arm, patted the bulging muscles, and Haransheng pulled the two of them toward the barracks in the distance: "Let's go, let's go, Don’t talk anymore, but I’m really greedy, I haven’t eaten this yellow sheep for a long time, I really miss you.”

The brothers of the Zhen family also liked this bold man and did not refuse. They followed the force and walked forward. Behind him, Ha Yunsheng, who had a yellow and slightly curly beard, was carrying two bows and followed behind with a smile.

……

As daylight entered the afternoon, when the Ha family brothers and the Zhen family brothers were having wine and barbecue, the two soldiers and horses entered the territory of Licheng in a dusty manner.

The horse's hooves stepped on the road that looked like mud, and the muddy water splashed on the horse's legs. The knight on the horse frowned and looked down. New mud spots kept appearing on his black shirt.

In the air, there were faint words of complaint, but when I listened attentively, I couldn't hear them very clearly. Behind the leading general was a large flag with the word "Deng" floating in the wind. I saw that he was wearing purple gold armor and had two broad swords at his waist. Each is more than five feet long, and the raised corners of the eyes look uncomfortable.

"General, I don't know if the soldiers and horses from Binzhou have arrived... We are half a day later than the stipulated time. I wonder if Yun Tianbiao will take the opportunity to attack." The deputy general at the rear urged his horse forward with a worried look on his face.

"I'm so afraid!" He snorted coldly, and the governor of Dezhou, Deng Zongbi, didn't even look back: "If he dares to make things difficult, I will dare to give him trouble. Now it is Yuntian Biao who asked me for help, but I am not rushing to help him. He suppresses bandits."

The lieutenant behind him scratched his cheek. He was also familiar with Shangguan's temper, so he couldn't help but say: "General, the guy named Yun has the right to control after all. You might as well say a few nice words to let him have a way out of this matter. That's it, it's over. If he refuses to give up, you don't have to show him any face. We'll see who's anxious then."

"What a trouble!" Deng Zongbi slapped his thigh on his horse, and his war skirt decorated with iron plates snapped: "But what you said makes sense. I'll give him two cents of noodles first to see if this guy can be a good person."

While the lieutenant general breathed a sigh of relief, he saw the military camp in front of him in the distance. Not long after, the general in purple and gold armor handed over his army to the lieutenant general. He took the lead and galloped into the camp with his bodyguard. Amidst the roar of horseshoes, he dismounted and walked in. The Chinese army opened the curtain and entered the big tent.

From the corner of his raised eyes, he saw a handsome man with a long beard and a beautiful beard sitting in the handsome seat. The man on the left had a handsome face, a strong build, and was wearing a bright silver chainmail. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, took off his helmet and put it under his arm, and took a big step. Come closer.

"General Deng Zongbi has seen the Commander-in-Chief, and he is wearing armor. I apologize that I cannot give him a full salute." The big man who walked in clasped his hands in his fists and bowed his head: "Because the road is muddy and it rains, many of the officers and soldiers in the army are infected with wind and cold. , since I came late, please forgive me, Commander-in-Chief."

"Huh... so many people are sick, it seems that the soldiers in Texas are in poor health." He stabbed him lightly, and Yun Tianbiao did not continue to embarrass the Hebei general below. He waved his hand and said: "That's all, I won't do it next time. Zuo The side barracks is yours, I will ask someone to take your troops there."

As he waved, a soldier hurriedly walked out of the tent.

"Thank you, Jieshuai!"

Deng Zongbi didn't sincerely apologize. After hearing this, he immediately put down his hand and looked at the handsome general on the side. He had a vague guess in his heart. Yun Tianbiao saw clearly from above. He stood up and said: "This is General Xin Congzhong, the commander of Binzhou. "

The figure below wearing bright silver chainmail stood up and held his hands: "Xin Congzhong has met General Deng."

"General Xin, I have long admired your name."

After a brief greeting, Yun Tianbiao walked towards Kanyutu, and the two people behind him looked at each other and followed.

"It's getting late today, and the sergeants are tired and need to repair." He pointed to Licheng and moved down: "Early tomorrow morning, we will break camp and set off, go down the Jishui River, and coordinate the navy in the river to go to Changqing."

"May I ask, Marshal Jie, where did the navy come from? What is its combat strength?" Xin Congzhong frowned as he looked at the line representing Jishui.

"Qingzhou has its own navy." Yun Tianbiao looked disapproving: "It's just that the sergeants under me are all men who tear tigers and leopards apart. The navy only undertakes the task of crossing the river. It will not rely on him to defeat Liangshan's defense. Waiting for the man who floats all day long.”

The two commanders behind thought for a while, and it seemed to be the same thing. As long as they crossed the water, what could a group of grass bandits do to compete with them and other forbidden troops?It's not like the wimps from Yunzhou and Yizhou.

Faintly scornful, the two commanders nodded without any objection.

Yun Tianbiao pointed at the picture and continued: "We will go down the river to Xucheng, and the soldiers and horses of Kaide Mansion will return to Shouzhang. When the time comes, we will attack first, and Kaide Mansion will be responsible for supporting them."

He opened his thumb and middle finger and pointed at the two cities, then closed them fiercely: "We will capture Liangshan with a flanking attack from the left and right, so that there will be no more banditry in Haiqingheyan, the boundary between Jingdong and Jingdong."

The passionate words did not cause any fluctuations in the two battle-hardened generals. They cast a vague glance at the corner of the commander's tent separated by a screen. The smell of incense and candles in their noses already made them speculate. Deng Zongbi cupped his fists and said: "May I ask Commander-in-Chief, who is the vanguard?"

Xin Congzhong's face was expressionless, but his eyes were also looking at Yun Tianbiao.

"The commander of Maxing Town under my command has sent Zhen Xianglin as the vanguard." The pupils in Danfeng's eyes moved slightly, and the two Hebei commanders nodded slowly with satisfaction.

……

The temporary camp near Dong'a began to move, heading north. The spies wearing only winter clothes followed Ma Ling, who was holding a Fangtian painted halberd, and entered the forest with his strong figure before disappearing.

……

Sucheng.

Near the time of Shenzheng, a horse rode in from the north gate. Under the red clouds in the sky, he arrived at the state government office in a dusty way. He handed in the documents, but was told that Cheng Wanli had returned home. He had no choice but to hold the horse and ask questions all the way.

It stands to reason that an official like Cheng Wanli should live in Houya, but this person is really good at making money. He has only been here in Yunzhou for a year and already bought a private office. He entered the compound three times, and there are pavilions, pavilions, The garden has strange stones, the house has carved beams and painted pillars, and a dragon-kissed statue stands on the roof. There is a small bamboo forest in the backyard, and the furniture in the house is made of ash.

It was dinner time when the knight came. Cheng Wanli's family was sitting at the table, and four maids stood behind to help serve dishes and pour wine. They were eating happily when the butler ran in and whispered in his ear: "Mr. Lang, There is someone outside who claims to be a soldier of the envoy and has come with official documents to seek revenge on a serious matter."

"Recruit the envoy?" The outstretched chopsticks stopped on top of the plate. Cheng Wanli blinked twice and retracted his hand: "You didn't ask him to go to the government office tomorrow?"

"I told you." The housekeeper smiled bitterly and bowed slightly: "It's just that he said that the military situation is extremely urgent and he is anxious to see his death."

"Dad, if you have official duties, just go and get busy." The bright and white-toothed girl on the side heard this and advised her father: "My daughter and mother will wait until she comes back to eat."

"I'm just an official. Official business is important."

"No, you two will eat it." With a smile on his face, he reached over and gently rubbed his daughter's hair. He said something to his wife, stood up and said to the housekeeper: "Let's go and see that girl. Vulgar people are such a spoiler of fun!"

The housekeeper immediately turned around and headed towards the front hall, followed by Cheng Wanli with a grimace. When he entered the front hall, he saw the knight in a military uniform, covered with dust from the wind, and the mud spots on his lower clothes had dried up and turned yellow. He frowned and sat at the front seat, while the butler stood aside with his head lowered.

"Young man, the Shandong Recruiting Envoy and the Qingzhou Soldiers and Horses General's personal soldiers have met the Governor of the state!" The kneeling sergeant saluted, and quickly took out the official document from his arms and raised it with both hands: "This is our commander-in-chief. I would also like to ask the Prime Minister of Zhizhou to read the official document."

Cheng Wanli did not move while stroking his beard, and the soldiers kneeling below did not dare to raise their heads. There was no movement in the front hall for a while. Zhizhou waited for a while and felt something was wrong. He turned to look at the housekeeper standing there like a goose, and couldn't help but act. The butler lowered his head and didn't notice the two glances. Cheng Wanli rolled his eyes angrily, clenched his fists and blocked his mouth, "Ahem--" as a reminder.

what?
The housekeeper raised his head and looked at his husband with his mouth open.

Cheng Wanli had no idea. He looked at the kneeling soldiers and winked. He thought that the housekeeper was not stupid enough not to understand. He quickly stepped forward to pick up the official document and handed it over.

Even though you are an old man from my wife’s family, I would have already replaced you with something you have no eyesight for!
Pishou took it over and glared at the housekeeper. Cheng Wanli then looked at the official document with the big seal. After reading it word for word, he immediately stood up, shook the document and looked to the opposite side: "Send troops??"

"Yes!" The soldier lowered his head and clasped his fists and said: "Commander Jie said that if the Liangshan thieves come out in full force, Sergeant Xucheng does not need to intercept them. He only needs to wait for the war to start and send troops to attack their lair. By then, he will not have much garrison strength. "If Liangshan sticks to the stronghold, Xucheng only needs to send troops to follow. When Liangshan is breached, Commander Jieh will ask the court for merit."

"This..." Cheng Wanli was a little moved. There didn't seem to be much danger in doing what Yun Tianbiao said. Besides, Yunzhou has been severely suppressed by Liangshan in the past two years, so that he, the governor of the state, only bought a private office for three years. It was somewhat inconsistent with his status. As for the refusal, there was not much room for rejection when the official document of recruiting the envoy came out. It was not worth the trouble for the old lady.

He squinted his eyes and thought for a while, then waved his hand: "You go down and rest first. I will give you a message from the governor tomorrow morning."

"Yes."

The soldiers also knew the situation in Yunzhou, and they probably wanted to discuss it with the local generals. They just hoped that this group of people would have a leader. They were led down by the housekeeper. After a while, they came back and stood aside to watch Lang Jun who was thinking. Silent.

"You go to Benzhou... No, there's no point in waiting! Well... go and call Governor Dong." As he was thinking about it, Cheng Wanli was about to ask the housekeeper to call the generals in Xucheng, but then he changed his mind.

The butler immediately turned around and hurried into the city where the lights were on.

Cheng Wanli did not go back to continue eating. He sat alone in the front hall and thought about it. After just one meal, the housekeeper walked into the hall again, followed by a man with steady steps. He saw that he had a handsome face. His skin is somewhat dark, his eyes are bright and unusually bright, his body is strong, and his hands are thick. At first glance, he is a powerful man.

Now he is wearing a white brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging around his waist just like the ancients, and a red scarf tied around his neck. He looks elegant and elegant.

As soon as the man entered the hall, he immediately bowed his head and said, "I have met the governor of the state, Dong Ping."

"Director Dong." He nodded and pointed to the side: "Please sit down."

Then he turned to the butler and said, "You are no longer needed here, go down!" The butler quickly bowed and left.

"Thank you, Mr. Xian!" Here Dong Ping bowed his hands, turned around and sat down, and looked at Cheng Wanli: "I wonder why Mr. Xian called Dong Ping here?"

Cheng Wanli reached for the official document and handed it to him: "Let's take a look at this first."

The man with the title of Fengliu Double Spear Commander quickly took it, looked at it carefully, raised his head and said, "What... does Xie mean?"

"I have been thinking about it for a long time..." Cheng Wanli twirled the tip of his beard and looked down: "This is a God-given opportunity. According to the envoy's plan, we are not in much danger, and two or three A few days ago, the city of Liangshan has also known about the sudden movement, and they will definitely come out in full force. The only thing to worry about is..." He put down his palms to support his thighs and leaned forward a little: "Who can lead the troops to attack Liangshan."

Just call me who else?
Dong Ping cursed in his heart, stood up, bowed towards the Zhizhou and said, "Young general, please fight!"

"Okay!" He straightened up and patted his thigh. Cheng Wanli stood up and helped Dong Ping up: "He is indeed the fierce general I asked in the letter to the Prime Minister. He is so courageous. In this case, I allow you to do it easily. There are all the soldiers and horses in the city temporarily." It’s under your control.”

Dong Ping was overjoyed: "Thank you so much, Mr. Zhizhou!"

Early the next morning, a horseman ran out of the city, and immediately began to mobilize supplies, soldiers and horses.

(End of this chapter)